Is the "learning" gearbox truth or fiction?

[developer]

Most of my journeys are suburb and city based and as such, fairly sedate, with the gearbox being allowed to change under part throttle openings.

Today I gave it some beans and I thought there was some lag between kickdown and (rather) rapid take off.

It's been said that the gearbox learns based upon your driving style.

If I drove more aggressively, more often (by using the paddles and Manual mode) could I expect the gearbox to get more responsive on kickdown?

Over to you, technical experts.

 

[John]

I've noticed on mine that after some spirited driving and then slower driving again, sometimes the gearbox 'thinks' I will be taking off again and carries on revving up in say third until eventually it realises I am not going to nail it and then changes up.

Either that is an intelligent gearbox, or it is a crock and the usual Merc electrical gremlins means it had forgotten until the point it did change...

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Everytime you take it in for a service to Mercedes they reset your gearbox settings.
What happens is over time if you drive a bit steady and mostly around town, it learns to change up 'too early' but it will be better for your MPG....

The easiest way to 'reset' the gearbox is from a standing start floor the accelerator. Does this once a week if you have done a lot of town driving prior..

 

[John]

I obviously reset my gearbox a lot then...

:bannana:

 

[Deleted member 37751]

I obviously reset my gearbox a lot then...

:bannana:

Good lad..

 

[st4]

Yep, it adapts, on a gentle run to work it is into 6th and 7th very early, and after a hard run it holds onto the gears for longer, in both C and S modes. The car will pull 6th at 50mph up a particular hill, and if been driven that is what it does. If I have driven harder, it will change down to 5th on this hill.

If you accelerate hard onto a motorway say in 3rd gear, it will change to 4th and then hold 4th at 70mph for about 5-10secs as if it expects another push (and who am I to ignore its requests) before it changes up. If you poottle on, your are in 7th by 65mph.

 

[Benzmyson]

The easiest way to 'reset' the gearbox is from a standing start floor the accelerator. Does this once a week if you have done a lot of town driving prior..

at the risk of appearing stupid,does this apply to any auto box ?

 

[st4]

at the risk of appearing stupid,does this apply to any auto box ?

Probably not.

 

[Noodle-Pulp]

The easiest way to 'reset' the gearbox is from a standing start floor the accelerator. Does this once a week if you have done a lot of town driving prior..

Just drive into any petrol garage/services (south of Wetherby) on the A1 and do it when rejoining the carriageway.. fun! :bannana:

 

[jefrs]

The usual MB reset is to put the throttle to the floor and switch to position-2 (not start) for 2-5 seconds, then release the throttle and switch to position-0 but leave the key in, and operate nothing electrical for 2 minutes.

I find the pootle-on insert onto the motorway to be more than quick enough in a 320, i.e. you're already doing 70mph by the time you think about putting your foot down. It's just a pity the designers didn't realise that the first half throttle is pootle and the second half means go like the clappers.

 

[John]

(and who am I to ignore its requests)

I feel the same. It's like you are getting 'the calling'.

 

[John]

at the risk of appearing stupid,does this apply to any auto box ?

I'm not sure all autoboxes but certainly a BMW Alpina B10 V8, I once had, had it.

They called it 'Adaptive' something I think.

I imagine most prestige models have it these days...

 

[lancebond]

According to my local specialist it does indeed learn,.

On the way back from Donny I got 35mpg... A week with me and I'm averaging 45mpg.



Showing once and for all I drive like an old woman

 

[Dryce]

at the risk of appearing stupid,does this apply to any auto box ?

I've had a Renault that claimed its auto adapted to your driving style - and also a Honda.

The thing is it sounds good to a buyer but beyond that you have no idea what logic they are using and whether it actually detracts from the the way the car drives when you're in it.

I don't trust something that (a) isn't explained and (b) I don't have any direct control of.

 

[BlackC55]

Everytime you take it in for a service to Mercedes they reset your gearbox settings.
What happens is over time if you drive a bit steady and mostly around town, it learns to change up 'too early' but it will be better for your MPG....

The easiest way to 'reset' the gearbox is from a standing start floor the accelerator. Does this once a week if you have done a lot of town driving prior..

Errr no they dont. No MB will go on a star during a service unless the customer asks this to be done.

The gearbox will self adapt to your driving style.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Errr no they dont. No MB will go on a star during a service unless the customer asks this to be done.

The gearbox will self adapt to your driving style.

I should have put that I know they do the gearbox reset on the commercial Mercedes...

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Errr no they dont. No MB will go on a star during a service unless the customer asks this to be done.

I should have said on the commercial Mercedes, they reset the gearbox...

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Apologies, I should have said on the commercial side of Mercedes...

 

[whitenemesis]

I should have put that I know they do the gearbox reset on the commercial Mercedes...

I should have said on the commercial Mercedes, they reset the gearbox...

Apologies, I should have said on the commercial side of Mercedes...

Would that be the commercial side of Mercedes, sweetpea?

 

[renault12ts]

The site is hanging a bit today. Press shift+F5 to reset